The Space Between
by Chucky Ray
Summary: A year and a half after Carlos' death Mal and her friends are finding it extremely difficult to deal with the anniversary of his passing and Harry is just trying to gather enough courage to ask his girlfriend a very important question that will change their lives forever, but can they overcome a tragic event first? Lots of Huma and a bit of Bal. :D


**Just a quick note from the author: Hey just so you guys know Jasmine/Carly is a character from one of my other fics on here and this takes place in an alternate universe. Oh yeah and for those of you who don't already know already Uma's mother is abusive. Enjoy! Oh and PS, for copyright reasons I don't have the lyrics to the song in here but you can go ahead and look it up on YouTube. :D**

"Kitty." A blonde-haired green-eyed girl (who was wearing a turquoise dress) said as she pointed to the fluffy white kitten on top of her mother's lap.

"That's right Carly, it's a kitty." Mal replied with a grin. "Her name is Duchess and she's our new kitty." She explained as Duchess let out a tiny mew and Carly started sucking on her knuckle. As Ben put his arm around his wife there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Ben said as he got up from the couch and went to go answer it.

"Are you ready for some visitors?" Evie questioned him as she, Doug, Jay, and Harry showed up at the door.

"Sure, I know somebody who will be very happy to see you." Ben began as he held the door open for them. "Where's Uma?" he questioned them.

"She's taking Jewel for a walk." Harry began as he walked inside with everybody else. "Damn that dog is getting huge." He finished.

"Harry, watch your language in front of the baby." Mal warned while Ben shut the door behind them.

"What baby?" he began with a grin as Carly smiled up at him. "You mean this big girl down here is Princess Carly?" he questioned teasingly before bending over to pick her up and she just simply grinned at him and started blowing raspberries.

Harry grinned back at her and then lifted her dress and blew raspberries on her tummy making her screech and giggle.

"Wow, you certainly have come a long way from not liking kids Harry." Mal pointed out as he fixed Carly's dress by pulling it back down.

"Yeah, I guess it's because I didn't give them much of a chance before." He replied before kissing the top of Carly's head softly. "That, and I'm about to become a father myself." He told her with a grin as Mal's eyes widened with complete and utter disbelief and astonishment.

"Uma's pregnant!?" she cried.

"No I am." He began sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. "Of course Uma's pregnant! That's one of the major reasons that I decided to pop the question." He explained as Ben grinned at him.

"Well congratulations Harry." He told him as he looked back down at Carly. "Which means that you'll be our little flower girl." He told her when suddenly she started to fuss. "Well it was just a thought, you don't have to be." He said.

"Here give her to me, it's getting close to her n-a-p." Mal told him while reaching out towards her. "That, and she probably needs to be changed." She added.

"Alright, here's your mummy." Harry said while handing Carly over to her.

"Yep, wet just as I figured. Come on Princess, let's get you changed." Mal told her and kissed her forehead while she continued to fuss and she started hushing her as she carried her out of the room and down the hallway.

"So Harry, do you have any idea whether or not it's going to be a boy or a girl yet?" Evie asked him.

"Yes." He replied with a nod.

"Well, which is it?" she questioned.

"We don't know yet but it's bound to be one or the other eh?" he replied with a grin when suddenly his cellphone rang. "Hold on." He began as he fished it out of his pocket and answered it. "Hey babe what's up?" he questioned and noticed that Uma sounded like she had been crying.

"I have some bad news for you." She told him as a look of concern grew onto his face.

"Darling, what's wrong?" he questioned her anxiously.

"We lost the baby." She told him with a sniff.

"Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?" he asked her.

"No, I'm afraid not." She replied.

"Well I'm over Ben's and Mal's right now. We were seeing Carly and their new kitten but Carly's going down for her nap anyways so I'll be home as soon as I can." He told her.

"Alright, see you when you get back then." She told him.

"Okay, love you and see you soon." He told her before he hung up.

"What's wrong Harry?" Evie asked him as he heaved a heavy sad sigh and hung his head.

"Uma just had a miscarriage." He replied.

"Poor Uma." Ben said.

"Yeah sorry guys I have to go. She needs me right now. Maybe I'll see if she wants to go out to dinner tomorrow night and we can all go. That way you all can witness my proposal." Harry told them with a grin.

"Aww,.. you're still going to propose to her?" Evie questioned him.

"Of course I am, I already bought her a ring and I can't imagine my life without her." He told her.

"That is _so _sweet! Uma's going to love it!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Well see you later Harry and offer Uma our condolences." Ben told him as he started heading towards the front door.

"Alright, thanks, I will." He told him before he headed outside and then shut the front door behind him as he left.

"You know what's funny?" Evie began.

"What?" Doug questioned her.

"Uma had a miscarriage on the same day as the first anniversary of Carlos' death." Evie pointed out.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." Jay said before heaving a sad sigh as he started remembering his best friend. Although they all missed Carlos very much Jay had been the closest to him. Silence fell over them while their minds were suddenly filled of memories of him.

_…__._

"Hey girl." Harry greeted Jewel as he got back onboard the ship while she leapt up onto him and placed her front paws on his leg. "Where's Uma?" he questioned her while scratching her behind the ears as she panted happily and wagged her tail. That's when suddenly he heard sobbing coming from her cabin and Jewel cocked her head to the side and whimpered. Harry gave her a pat and then after she leapt back down onto the ground he walked over to her cabin. "Uma,.." he began as he knocked on the door. "It's Harry, can I come in?" he asked her.

"Yeah." She replied with a sniff and he slowly turned the doorknob and entered the room laying down on the bed beside her and allowing her to cuddle up inside his chest.

"I'm sorry sweetheart." He told her while wrapping one arm around her and having his other hand gently stroke her hair.

"Why do these things happen Harry?" she questioned him but he simply just shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I'm afraid that I can't answer that. Sometimes things just happen." He told her before kissing her forehead.

"You know it's funny, I really wanted to be a mother. It isn't like I thought I would be as good of one as Mal is because I know I wouldn't be,.. but I thought that I would be a better one than my own mother. I would never do what she did to me." she told him.

"No, of course you wouldn't." He told her. "And don't worry, you'll get another chance. And you're going to be a great mother someday." He told her before kissing her hair softly. "Hey look, I was talking to Ben and the others earlier and since I know how hard this is for you, we were talking about going out to dinner tomorrow night. Carly will be invited to come too." He told her.

"Yeah,.. sure." She replied while rubbing her eyes and sniffing.

"By the way, I'm just as upset as you are about this, but our chance will come. Trust me." he assured her.

"I trust you Harry and I love you." She told him.

"I love you too." He told her before they exchanged a passionate kiss on the lips and continued holding each other tightly.

_…_

Ben and Mal walked into the Tony's restaurant. Mal was carrying Jasmine and that's when she handed her off to Ben. "Um hey can you take her for a minute please? I've got to use the restroom." She told him.

"Yeah, sure." He replied.

"Alright Carly stay here with Daddy for a few moments while Mommy goes to the bathroom." Mal told her as she smiled warmly and affectionately at her and then turned around and walked away. That's when suddenly Harry, Uma, Jay, Doug, Lonnie, and Evie met them.

As soon as Jasmine spotted them she pointed at Harry and grinned. "Ba!" she exclaimed before letting out an excited squeal.

"Well,.. she's certainly happy to see you Harry." Evie said.

"Hey kid, you're cute but he's mine so back off." Uma told her with a grin.

"Ooh,.. ma?" Jasmine questioned her.

"Hey,.. I think she's trying to say your name." Ben told her.

"What's my name Carly? Huh? What is it?" Uma questioned her back excitedly.

"Uma." She replied with a wide a grin.

"That's right!" Uma squealed excitedly as the toddler giggled a little bit and then kissed the top of her head when suddenly Mal returned.

"What's going on here what did I miss?" she wondered.

"The little princess just said my name for the first time." Uma told her with a proud grin.

"Really? Great job honey!" Mal praised her daughter when suddenly a waitress walked over to them and bowed her head slightly.

"Would you like a highchair for the little princess your majesties?" she questioned them.

"Yes please." Ben replied.

"Right away King Ben." She told him before she turned around, walked away, and disappeared.

Later on when they were all seated at the table and they had finished ordering their meals Harry stood up. "Uh Uma, Harry has something that he would like to say to you." Mal began as Uma nodded and then turned over to look at him.

"What is it Harry?" she questioned him.

"You know it's funny, I thought I knew exactly what I was going to say to you, but my heart just can't find enough words to describe how I feel about you." He began.

"What are you talking about?" she asked him when suddenly he knelt down on one knee and took ahold of her by her hand making her gasp rather loudly. "Oh my gosh, you can't be doing what I think you're doing." She told him as tears started welling up inside her eyes.

"I am." He replied while gently rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "Uma,.. I love you with all my heart." He began. "I always have and I always will. I realized that we've had our ups and downs in our relationship, and ups and down in the rest of our lives. I also know that just like everybody else here tonight you have had your share of hurt, sorrow, and sadness. However, if you'll let me, I think I can fill that empty gap and space that you have between your joy and sorrow and fill your heart and your life with all the happiness in the world." He began. "Or as much as I can anyways." He told her before he got down onto his other knee and burst into a chorus of "A Ring On Every Finger while beating his hand up against his chest.

Uma smiled at him through her tears as he sung to her and when he had finally finished, he dug into his pocket and pulled out a tiny black box. "So now the only question that remains is Uma Urchin, will you marry me?" he asked her as he popped the lid open with his thumb and revealed a silver ring with a blue jewel in the center of it.

She sniffed and nodded her head as tears continued rolling down her cheeks. "Yes, I will." She replied as Harry grinned at her and he took the ring and then slid it onto her finger. Cheers and applause broke throughout the restaurant as they kissed each other passionately before he took ahold of her hand and then pulled her up to her feet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Harry Hook and Uma Urchin are officially engaged to be married!" he announced excitedly while raising their hands into the air and their friends continued clapping for them as well as the rest of the restaurant.

"You know, I really wish that Carlos was here to come to their wedding." Mal said.

"Yeah, me too,.. but just like the rest of us Carlos always knew how much Harry and Uma have always loved each other and I know that he would want us to be happy for them." Evie told her.

"Yeah, you know it's funny, we've been talking so much lately about how much Carlos has been missing out on,.. but I don't think he really is." Jay began with a grin. "After all, he's got the best seat in the house." He finished before they all turned to see the newly engaged couple exchange another passionate kiss.

**To Be Continued In "A Fairytale Wedding." :D**


End file.
